Thursday 7 April 2011

Times They Are A-Changin'

The Project Venus brewsters
It's quite scary to realise that you're involved in a polar shift in cultural mores but it would appear that myself, and people like Maverine Cole (Beer Beauty), Ros Shiel (Dea Latis) and all my international women colleagues are in exactly that position.


We are getting more women to try, and enjoy, beer.


This isn't a boast because there is a lot more to do (although it is something I'm proud of), but it's a fantastic start.


You only have to look at the Rake on Monday night, where the Project Venus beer was launched (I couldn't be there as I was involved in KaiWeCare - got £800 for a beer tasting too!), apparently the pub was heaving!


The beer was the result of a bunch of brewsters getting together and making a 4% beer with Pacific Gem & Citra hops, which apparently turned out so good two firkins were gone baby gone on the night! That's 144 pints in four hours case you're counting!


And of course, there's Barley's Angels, which is really taking off! (Sorry, I just can't help myself.) You can join our facebook group here and once I figure out why the re-direct has eaten the blog you'll be able to find it here www.barleysangels.co.uk (sorry it's a mess right now!).

6 comments:

  1. It is a real shift, you are totally right, and a really exciting one too! I just finished my own blogpost on the Project Venus launch... truly cool women.

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  2. 'Tis here.
    http://realalegirl.blogspot.com/
    Hope you are enjoying the sun, have a fab weekend

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  3. I too am a woman who loves beer :)

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  4. I think that there is a real danger that you will alienate a huge part of the market that won't even look at a 'beer for girls'....in my experience, a lot of women have a pre-conceived idea that beer is bitter, fattening and not for them - what we have to do is to educate people that 'beer' can be broken down into a myriad of styles and tastes and there is almost certainly a beer that they will like out there already....the last thing we need is another category and another set of barriers that reinforce the old prejudices about beer being for old men with grubby tee-shirts and beards....

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  5. Hi Richard, I completely take on board what you're saying, and I've taken 10 years and a lot of careful thinking before launching this - because I agree with you wholeheartedly when it comes to the development of products, but not when it comes to tastings.

    Social dynamics and simple human nature dictate that women are often more comfortable and confident learning in an environment of their peers - this doesn't mean we are choosing beers for girls, unless by that you mean a 6.5% porter and an 8.5% triple as at the Dark Star event the other evening!

    We have male brewers present, and they leave with all their bits intact, I promise!

    Project Venus, Barley's Angels, Beer Beauty - we're all about creating strong, positive female role models for women to look to if they want to try beer, improve their knowledge or go somewhere where they just know they're going to have a good laugh!

    I hope that clears things up a bit.

    Cheers,

    Melissa

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